On 12/6/06 RPB received a phone call from the NJDEP regarding a vegetable oil spill from a food processing company, Admiration Foods, which entered the Overpeck Creek where it flows through Englewood (Bergen County), NJ. The oil had been noticed by a citizen on a golf course downstream from the alleged origin of the spill.
Inamuch as NJDEP had spill response personnel already on-site, and the PRP had brought in a clean up company, EPA responded to determine if the alleged spiller was subject to federal SPCC regulations, which applies to vegetable oil as well as petroleum-based oil. OSC Paul Kahn inspected the facility on 12/7/06, but was unable to conclusively determine if the facility was the source of the oil spill. SPCC applicability was also unclear, and will be referred to the RPB Oil Section for follow-up. The spill itself had been contained in a 100 yard section of the creek by boom and spill pads, and was being removed with a vac-truck. OSC estimated that there was about 50 gallons of product on the water.
